breaking the rules

[justin ackroyd]

Went to have a look at the swale yesterday at topcliffe bridge. Thought id see a few barbel and chub mulling around. Wo and behold two larger than life fisherman sat in the river.

i asked em what were they after, "trout" what bait you using "worms"

both feeder fishing with groundbait feeders two rods each, large maggot boxes overflowing with worms

i would have posted their picture if i could upload it.

they have a small red MG hatchback i think

Sent details to the EA, should wait until the 16th like the rest of us

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Doubt the EA will do much

 

[beerweasel]

Well done Justin. :thumbs:

 

[sam vimes]

Sadly, the Yorkshire and Northumbrian regional byelaws do allow for trout fishing with worms, provided that the riparian owner also allows it.
For many years people have been extracting the urine with regards to this particular byelaw.

It's long been my opinion that there's little chance of anyone on the Swale genuinely fishing for trout below Langton Bridge. The fact that they further extract the urine by illegally fishing maggots simply compounds what is a highly dubious practice. I very much doubt that the EA will do a thing. I'd love it if that's not the case.

This kind of thing is the main reason I have such a dim view of the closed season.

 

[justin ackroyd]

But it does say free lining ,not sit there with 2 rods held high

 

[dorsetandchub]

There's a free stretch of the Dorset Stour at Longham where I noted three guys fishing a few days back. There's no trout-worms by-law there, as far as I know.

I got the distinct impression those people had no idea what the close season was no matter when it was and it wouldn't have affected their decision to fish anyway.

Disgraceful.

 

[peter crabtree]

Justin, you've done the best you could by reporting the incident to the EA.
Whether or not they act on your info they will log it at least and if more matching reports come in they may do something.
Otherwise you can either become a vigilante and risk getting a violent response (not advisable) or call the non emergency number 08005551111

As I said above, you have done the right thing but sadly thats it...

 

[sam vimes]

But it does say free lining.

Are you sure about that? Last I knew there was nothing in the bye laws to stop you float fishing or ledgering, provided that you only used worms as bait. Individual riparian owners can apply further rules to modify that though.

not sit there with 2 rods held high

You know they are extracting the pee, and so do I, regardless of the method or bait.

 

[justin ackroyd]

Who owns that stretch now ? They must be members, I could send something to the club. I bet they know who the little bar stewards are.

 

[sam vimes]

Who owns that stretch now ? They must be members, I could send something to the club. I bet they know who the little bar stewards are.

Left hand bank as you look upstream or right hand bank? Left is a secret squirrel syndicate, Right is either the church or the back gardens of the houses that back onto the river (Downstream I'm not sure any longer. I'd suspect LH will be the caravan park and right hand Asenby (residents) Anglers) . Above that, on both sides, is Leeds water. I'd doubt that Leeds will do anything. They've allowed people to fish "worm" for years. They could easily stop it if they wanted with a simple rule change.

 

[justin ackroyd]

The left bank looking up from the bridge


Looks like most of you were correct, I emailed the details. All I got back was thanks for contacting us. Please ring us and provide as much detail as possible. Did they not read my email

 

[bennygesserit]

If you only fish with worms is that legal ?
Is the illegal bit here the groundbait in the feeder ?

Sorry for the nooby question

 

[sam vimes]

The left bank looking up from the bridge

The former Black Bull Stretch. It has been syndicate water for a good number of years now. You may struggle to even find contact details for them.

If you only fish with worms is that legal ?
Is the illegal bit here the groundbait in the feeder ?

Fishing with worms (supposedly for trout) is perfectly legal due to a bye-law that exists in the Yorkshire and Northumbrian Water regions. Any bait other than worms sees you breaking that bye-law. A crafty pint of maggots, a few slices of bread, groundbait or any loose feeding are all illegal until June 16th.

 

[guest61]

If you only fish with worms is that legal ?
Is the illegal bit here the groundbait in the feeder ?

Sorry for the nooby question

I don't know about this river but, in some areas of country, its clearly stated that you can't use groundbait in feeder in the close river season. Although helpfully, in the same download, it also says that you can use maggots on some waters if they're attached to a fly at certain hours of the day.

Given such a labyrinth of regulation and by-laws across geographic boundaries. It makes a joke of the closed season. That said, I respect it.

If these 'anglers' were breaking rules then they are criminals much like Bob James.

 

[Fishingdownthewindy]

I think it is important to report, if we don't then this will carry on.

It might be the off chance that the EA do follow up.

The more complaints the more pressure to action these complaints.

It looks like a regional thing and how aggressive the local EA are with follow ups, but with any government body they have to hit targets and stats of an increase of complaints regardless if they go forward will put the pressure on the EA.

This may put pressure on the poor excuses of human kind to think again fishing the closed season.

 

[sam vimes]

This may put pressure on the poor excuses of human kind to think again fishing the closed season.

That's the snag, you can legally fish the place that's being talked about. The fact that many that do so are pushing the boundaries is, to some extent, immaterial, but it's the reason that the EA aren't too likely to follow it up. Unless they catch some numpty in the act and get good admissable evidence, it's going nowhere.

As I've said before, the fishing for trout with worms legitimacy is very thin on an awful lot of the river concerned. I doubt that there'll be more than the odd trout in miles of river in the area concerned. The chances of actually catching one is pretty slim. Even if you limited yourself within the bye-law, to only using worms, I'd expect to catch chub, barbel, perch, dace, pike, bream, roach and, knowing the stretch, even carp before you managed a trout. As far as I'm concerned, it's a closed season loophole that some anglers and clubs exploit mercilessly. I'm a sucker, I won't fish, worms or not, in the closed season in areas that are devoid of trout. Very occasionally, usually no more than once a year, I'll trot a worm in the upper reaches where I've yet to see anything other than trout.

This whole farce is the precise reason that I have little time for the closed season. Up here, those bye-laws render it a complete joke.

 

[Sean Meeghan]

The former Black Bull Stretch. It has been syndicate water for a good number of years now. You may struggle to even find contact details for them.

Then they are poaching as the secret squirrels don't allow close season fishing.

 

[sam vimes]

Then they are poaching as the secret squirrels don't allow close season fishing.

That's good to know. Shame that they are such secret squirrels really. I dare say that I could possibly get a message their way. The snag being that it may take a month or so. Hopefully, one fine day, Leeds will change their rules too. I'll not hold my breath on that one though.